Rising from a community based drumming group, the colourful thirty-plus member drum group know simply as Samba Squad, performs a variety of samba-based West African, Caribbean and Afro-Cuban styles of Carnival rhythms on t... more &raquoraditional Brazilian percussion instruments and has become one of the most sought after Canadian World and Latin music acts thrilling audiences from coast to coast with their unique live music experience. Samba Squad is led by percussionist Rick Shadrach Lazar who has devoted a life to making music, involving himself in a wide variety of innovative projects and collaborating with other Canadian and international artists, including Bruce Cockburn, the Blues Brothers, Moe Koffman, Jesse Cook, Jane Bunnett, Jeff Healy, Montuno Police, Loreena McKennitt and Great Big Sea. With these notable projects it is easy to see why he was voted Percussionist of the Year five times by Canada's Jazz Report magazine. Samba Squad has performed over 200 festivals (Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, Roots & Blues Festival Salmon Arms B.C., London's Sun Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival and Muhtadi's International Drum Fest in Tobago) concerts, benefits, special events, sporting events (Toronto Raptors, Toronto Argos and Blue Jays half-time shows) and television appearances (Governor General Awards CBC Television, The Toronto Show Toronto 1, Breakfast Television CITY TV, Open Mike with Mike Bullard, CTV). In addition, Samba Squad have also opened for Grammy and Juno award winning singer Sarah Mclaughlin and are a regular guest performer for Canadian flamenco phenomenon Jesse Cook. For the first time on DVD, Drums We Love captures Samba Squad at their best with the unique live and impromptu performance the group has become known for. Drums We Love is a look into the creation and evolution of Samba Squad through the words of group members and students as well as interviews with lead percussionist Rick Shadrach Lazar, and special guests Jesse Cook, Bruce Cockburn, Loreena McKennitt and Paul Shaffer. For fans and percussionists alike this DVD is a must have, for in the end it all comes down to the Drums We Love.&laquo less